notes

Main point summary

Since you actually have a new heart–brought to life by the very gospel of Christ and cleansed for genuine love, be fervent in brotherly love, and grow up into full maturity.

Paraphrase

editing

NT

1 Peter 1:22-2:3

tisch

esv

mine

Τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν ἡγνικότες ἐν τῇ ὑπακοῇ τῆς ἀληθείας εἰς φιλαδελφίαν ἀνυπόκριτον,

Having purified your souls

Since you have now been cleansed through and through

by your obedience to the truth

by means of your obedient response to the gospel

actionmanner

for a sincere brotherly love,

–a cleansing that is designed to produce genuine love for others,

actionpurpose

ἐκ καρδίας ἀλλήλους ἀγαπήσατε ἐκτενῶς,

love one another earnestly from a pure heart,

you ought therefore to be wholehearted, clean-hearted in your love for your fellow believers

inference

ἀναγεγεννημένοι οὐκ ἐκ σπορᾶς φθαρτῆς

since you have been born again, not of perishable seed

because you actually have a new heart, with new life that does not come from a source prone to decay,

ἀλλὰ ἀφθάρτου, διὰ λόγου ζῶντος θεοῦ καὶ μένοντος·

but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;

Rather , this new life comes from a source that death and decay can never touch, that is, through the ever-living, always-settled word of God;

negativepositive

διότι πᾶσα σὰρξ ὡς χόρτος,

for "All flesh is like grass

Isaiah explains this when he says, "All humanity is as durable as field grass,

καὶ πᾶσα δόξα αὐτῆς ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου·

and all its glory like the flower of grass.

and all human splendor is as fleeting as the flower in the field.

series

ἐξηράνθη ὁ χόρτος ,

The grass withers,

Soon enough, the season is past, the grass dries up and comes to its end,

καὶ τὸ ἄνθος ἐξέπεσεν ·

and the flower falls,

and with it, the flower dries and falls off.

ideaexplanation

τὸ δὲ ῥῆμα κυρίου μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.

but the word of the Lord remains forever."

In stark contrast , God's word will never fade - it is forever true."

τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν τὸ ῥῆμα τὸ εὐαγγελισθὲν εἰς ὑμᾶς.

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

To be clear , this word of God that Isaiah speaks of is precisely the good word about Jesus Christ that was proclaimed to you.

j So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.

Since you have been given a new life, it only makes sense therefore to be done with the anger-filled, deceitful habits and patterns of the old life.

k Like newborn infants,

A newborn baby has only one desire: more of its mother's milk.

long for the pure spiritual l milk,

In the same way , you ought to desire the spiritual food of God's word,

comparison

that by it you may grow up into salvation—

so that by its nourishment you may grow to full maturity in Christ–

if indeed you have m tasted that the Lord is good.

that is assuming , of course, you know first-hand the sweet goodness of the Lord.

conditional

bilateral

1 Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead"

1 Peter 1:4 "to an inheritance that is imperishable , undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you" 1 Peter 1:18-19 "knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ , like that of a lamb without blemish or spot."

1 Peter 1:18 "knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers ..."

Psalm 34:8 "Oh , taste and see that the Lord is good ! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"

discourse

Key Observations

At the heart of true Christian experience is the reality of a new birth (already a core theme in v.3-21). Peter elaborates on the nature of this birth highlighting the "seed" from which this new life springs. - The seed is not perishable but is the very word of God which is alive and has staying power. - Evidence of this is seen in the contrast between fleshly, grassy seed which even its flower fades away and the word of God which is eternally enduring. - Peter quotes Isaiah 40 and understands that Isaiah is referring not to the Word of God generally but to the heralding of the good news of Messiah. - And so he specifies this life-giving word is the gospel preached and heard. The initial command to love one another (v.22) has two qualifications - that love be earnest and that it be from a pure heart. - It may be the second which particularly gives rise to the reasoning of v.23-25, i.e. you ought to love from a pure heart because you actually have a new heart. These verses also clarify the condition of v.22a. - Peter rather affirms that brotherly love is rooted in one's new nature which walks in obedience to truth from which it springs. There are two commands that follow after the reality of the new birth springing from the word of Christ: - the first is the negative side of the command to love earnestly. Malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander are all in direct contrast to a sincere brotherly love. - Note the repetition of "all..." - the second compares growing in Christian maturity to an infant being sustained by a mother's milk, - so too 'children of the word' ought to thirst after the nourishment of the word with an aim to grow to maturity. - The conditional clause emphasizes the appropriate connection between tasting the goodness of God and longing for more.

Cross-References

OT

Isaiah 40:1-11

Comfort for God’s People 40 1 z Comfort , comfort my people, says your God . 2 a Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that b her warfare 1 is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord ’s hand double for all her sins. 3 c A voice cries: 1 d “ In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord ; e make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 f Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 g And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed , and all flesh shall see it together, h for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” The Word of God Stands Forever 6 A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, 1 “What shall I cry?” i All flesh is grass, and all its beauty 2 is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. 8 j The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever . The Greatness of God 9 Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, k herald of good news ; 1 lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; 2 lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” 10 l Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; m behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 n He will tend his flock like a shepherd; o he will gather the lambs in his arms ; p he will carry them in his bosom , and gently lead those that are with young.

lookup

Outline of 1 Peter

Greeting 1:1-2 Greeting 1:1-2a Salutation 1:2b Body of Letter 1:3-5:11 REALITIES OF OUR SALVATION AS EXILES 1:3-2:10 Praise for our salvation 1:3-12 A salvation rooted in the work of God 1:3-5 A salvation that brings joy in the midst of trials 1:6-9 A salvation eagerly anticipated by prophets and angels 1:10-12 Priorities as believers in exile 1:13-2:10 Exhortation to gospel-rooted holiness 1:13-21 * Exhortation to gospel-rooted love 1:22-2:3 * Encouragement: you are indeed God's precious people 2:4-10 LIVING IN A WORLD OPPOSED TO CHRIST 2:11-5:11 Specific relationships: 2:11-3:12 In relation to unbelievers generally 2:11-12 In relation to governing authorities 2:13-17 Servants in relation to unbelieving masters 2:18-20 The example of Christ 2:21-25 Family life 3:1-7 Wives in relation to unbelieving husbands 3:1-6 Husbands of believing wives 3:7 Community life 3:8-12 On Christian suffering 3:13-4:19 Live without fear, doing good with a clear conscience 3:13-17 Christ suffered that he might bring us to God 3:18-22 Live for the will of God, not the passions of the flesh 4:1-6 Knowing the end is near, glorify God in service to one another 4:7-11 Trials should be no surprise 4:12-19 The vital need for sound leadership in the church 5:1-11 Closing & Final Greetings 5:12-14 Closing exhortation 5:12 Final greetings 5:13-14